While we all love a good party, the noise disturbance and mess they can produce for those living in surrounding apartments can be an inconvenience. It can even lead to complaints and financial penalties within a strata scheme. If you’re planning to hold a party in your apartment or townhouse, follow these three simple steps to minimise the impact of your event and ensure everyone enjoys their night.
Check your strata scheme’s by-laws
First and foremost, your party and your guests will need to abide by your strata scheme’s by-laws in order to avoid trouble. Now’s a good time to check over your by-law documentation (provided by your landlord or strata secretary/manager) to check the rules. That may mean minimising noise after a certain time, limiting the number of guests in a common area or setting up a designated area for smokers so their cigarette smoke doesn’t drift to someone else’s lot. You’ll also need to maintain easy access to any emergency exits, so keep this in mind when shuffling furniture around in your home and making room.
Notify your neighbours
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to celebrating at a strata property. Rather than wait for your neighbours to get increasingly irritated about their Saturday night being disrupted by unexpected footsteps and music, provide them with a courteous letter a week or more prior so they can plan around it. You might also wish to let them know the number of people who will be attending and when they can expect the music to be turned down. Better yet – invite them to the party and get to know them a bit better!
The other notification you should be providing is to the NSW Police if you’re planning to have more than a few people over. You can easily register online if more than three days out, or via your local police station closer to the date.
Seamless Transition, Exceptional Service – Switch Your Strata Manager!
Be courteous of common areas
Your common areas are for the enjoyment and use of all strata residents, so it’s important that you keep any shared spaces clean, tidy and useable. That means asking guests to be quiet as they arrive and depart, picking up any rubbish that’s left behind and moving the party inside at a reasonable time. If you’re planning to use the swimming pool ask guests to dress appropriately, and only use plastic cups and containers to help avoid injuries. It can be a good idea to check any corridors, elevators and entryways the morning after to ensure there’s no trace of your party happening.
Planning a strata-friendly party is all about being prepared and being considerate. If you can plan ahead and stick within your by-laws, you should have a fun and relaxed event without any unwanted fallout.
